Standardized method comparison for ACS:180 plus and Immulite sensitive PSA (sPSA) measurement methods

The aim of this study was to compare two immunoassay measurement methods, the ACS:180 Plus (Chiron Diagnostics) kit and the Immulite sPSA (DPC) kit. Method comparison analysis was performed according to EP9-A; approved guideline of NCCLS 51. Serum samples having a wide range of total prostate-specific antigen (PSA) concentrations were evaluated in split-sample analysis. F-test, t-test analysis and regression statistics were performed. In Deming regression analysis the coefficients were as follows; the slope=0.967; y-intercept=-0.148, r=0.989. An acceptable bias was seen since the systematical error was calculated to have a value less than the total allowable error calculated from biological variations. Non-parametric evaluation of the area under ROC curves for ACS:180 Plus and Immulite sPSA were 0.997 and 0.987, respectively. Diagnostic accuracy was at the level of p= 0.000 and no statistical difference was found between the two assay methods.     

The Fractional Fourier Transform and Harmonic Oscillation

The ath-order fractional Fourier transform is a generalization ofthe ordinary Fourier transform such that the zeroth-order fractionalFourier transform operation is equal to the identity operation and thefirst-order fractional Fourier transform is equal to the ordinaryFourier transform. This paper discusses the relationship of thefractional Fourier transform to harmonic oscillation; both correspondto rotation in phase space. Various important properties of thetransform are discussed along with examples of commontransforms. Some of the applications of the transform are brieflyreviewed.     

Efficient computation of quadratic-phase integrals in optics

We present a fast NlogN time algorithm for computing quadratic-phase integrals. This three-parameter class of integrals models propagation in free space in the Fresnel approximation, passage through thin lenses, and propagation in quadratic graded-index media as well as any combination of any number of these and is therefore of importance in optics. By carefully managing the sampling rate, one need not choose N much larger than the space-bandwidth product of the signals, despite the highly oscillatory integral kernel. The only deviation from exactness arises from the approximation of a continuous Fourier transform with the discrete Fourier transform. Thus the algorithm computes quadratic-phase integrals with a performance similar to that of the fast-Fourier-transform algorithm in computing the Fourier transform, in terms of both speed and accuracy.     

Nonswellable and swellable ethylene glycol dimethacrylate-acrylic acid copolymer microspheres

In this study, nonswellable and swellable poly(ethylene glycol dimethacrylate/acrylic acid) copolymer microspheres, in the size range of 50–150 μm, were produced by conventional and modified suspension copolymerizations of the respective monomers, i.e., ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) and acrylic acid (AA) in aqueous media. Poly(vinyl alcohol) and benzoyl peroxide were used as the stabilizer and the initiator. The diluent, i.e., toluene was included in the polymerization recipe of the modified suspension polymerization. The microspheres were characterized by optical microscopy, FTIR, and FTIR-DRS, and potentiometric titrations. Highly crosslinked, transparent, and nonswellable poly(EGDMA/AA) microspheres were obtained with the conventional suspension polymerization procedure. The modified suspension polymerization provided swellable, opaque, and crosslinked copolymer microspheres. Acrylic acid incorporation into the copolymeric microspheres were significantly higher in the modified procedure, relative to the conventional procedure. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Fractional Fourier transform-exceeding the classical concepts of signal’s manipulation

The fractional Fourier transform is a signal processing tool which is strongly associated with optical data manipulation. It has fast computational algorithms and it suggests solutions to interesting signal processing tasks. In this paper we review its properties as well as present a new set of its applications for blind source separation of images and for RF photonics (a field in which photonic devices are used to process RF signals). The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Space bandwidth-efficient realizations of linear systems

One can obtain either exact realizations or useful approximations of linear systems or matrix-vector products that arise in many different applications by implementing them in the form of multistage or multichannel fractional Fourier-domain filters, resulting in space-bandwidth-efficient systems with acceptable decreases in accuracy. Varying the number and the configuration of filters enables one to trade off between accuracy and efficiency in a flexible manner. The proposed scheme constitutes a systematic way of exploiting the regularity or structure of a given linear system or matrix, even when that structure is not readily apparent.     

Continuous functions minimization by dynamic random search technique

Random search technique is the simplest one of the heuristic algorithms. It is stated in the literature that the probability of finding global minimum is equal to 1 by using the basic random search technique, but it takes too much time to reach the global minimum. Improving the basic random search technique may decrease the solution time. In this study, in order to obtain the global minimum fastly, a new random search algorithm is suggested. This algorithm is called as the Dynamic Random Search Technique (DRASET). DRASET consists of two phases, which are general search and local search based on general solution. Knowledge related to the best solution found in the process of general search is kept and then that knowledge is used as initial value of local search. DRASET’s performance was experimented with 15 test problems and satisfactory results were obtained.     

Thermodynamics of micellization of ionic surfactant/alkoxyethanol mixed micelles as a function of temperature

Estimates of the thermodynamic parameters of micellization ((_micG°, (_micH°, and (_micS°) have been determined for a series of mixed micelles consisting of ionic surfactants (sodium dodecylsulfate and dodecyltrimethylamonium bromide) and medium chain length alkoxyethanols as the co surfactant. The enthalpies of micellization have been measured directly for the above systems using isoperibol solution calorimetry; the Gibbs energies and entropies of micellization are obtained by application of the mass-action model to the critical micelle concentration values from the calorimetric titration experiments. The thermodynamic properties of mixed micelle formation with alcohol concentration and temperature are in excellent agreement with our previous results. However, there does appear to be some dependence of the thermodynamic properties of mixed micelle formation on the charge of the ionic surfactant. These dependencies are discussed in terms of the manner in which the ethylene oxide group of the alcohol interacts with the ionic head groups and the location of the solubilizates in the micellar interior.